agoh Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 so we talk about the minimum/maximum litres/gallons of tanks to justify swimming space for large fishes it is a common place specification we find in forums / and websites describing tankvolume requirements for tropical fish....now compare two tanks 1) a 1 metre tall and 50cm wide tank Versus 2) a 50cm tall and 1metre wide tank. Both have the same volume but different dimensions. Can you house the same number/size of fish?, do they theoretically adapt to swim in all levels and parts of the tank??... this could be species specific and I'm sure most fish naturally swim horizontally ofcourse but please express your thoughts / I see so many tanks advertised for their unique shapes and sizes but does volume justify space? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_from_nz Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 No the biggest factor with tank dimensions is surface area it is better to have a lower tank than a High tank when going for the same volume of water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 To clarify, bigger surface area = more oxygen transfer into water. There are so many factors the question is impossible to answer accept on a case by case. Off the top of my head, you need to consider things like the fish requirements (althrough remember most fish come from water far deeper than any tank), plants due to shape and light requirements, physical location of tank in room, servicing of tank (i.e if you can reach the bottom), etc etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 I don't know about what is 'better' but my own preference would be for the wider tank rather than the deeper to me i feel it must be more comfortable for the fish to have the space of swimming side to side (and up and down in that area obviously also) as opposed to being constricted to swimming up and down in the narrower confines. However I have been bidding on a few hexagonal tanks (cheaper take up less space) with the thought of housing some of the smaller varieties. (tetra neons and similar sized little 'zoomy' fish (Cant you just tell i am a novice ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 I would put 'zoomy' fish in a long tank rather tan a hex so they don't keep hitting the sides. I prefer measurements of length rather than litres. As stated, it is surface area that is more important. Angels are well suited to hex tanks as they just cruise slowly, as do the fancy goldfish but shoaling fish which 'zoom' are much better in a longer tank with more zooming room Filtration and maintenance also have an effect on stocking levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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